With public dollars stretched thin and the need for food and shelter growing, San Jose leaders on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to create a coronavirus relief fund that will help the city receive federal resources for those affected by the pandemic. The fund will allow the city to continue operating its temporary emergency shelters,...
SJSU student activists celebrate county’s cannabis-conviction clearance
When Aysha Pathan got word recently that the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office eliminated more than 13,000 cannabis-related convictions, the San Jose State University student was thrilled. “I dropped everything and started reading all these articles,” Pathan said. “I kind of knew something was happening, but I didn’t know the number. I was really...
Judge orders full signature recount for San Jose ballot measure
Labor leaders announced the revival of a contentious union-backed initiative to shift mayoral elections to presidential years Monday, after a judge ruled in favor of a full recount of nearly 100,000 signatures to determine if it qualifies for the Nov. 2020 ballot. The order was issued on Friday, just weeks after Santa Clara County Registrar of...
COVID-19 testing sites open in East San Jose
After months of calls for more COVID-19 testing, a vulnerable San Jose area that is home to a large immigrant population now has two free testing sites. “This has been a population that has been vulnerable for so many reasons pre-COVID — due to rent, due to food insecurities, lack of job opportunities and educational...
Preservationists fight to save former San Jose courthouse from demolition
The stout, yet distinct, former courthouse building at the corner of Park Avenue and Almaden Boulevard in downtown San Jose has been the focus of several redevelopment visions since the Santa Clara County Superior Court moved out years ago. But the most recent vision, by Jay Paul Co. to build a 3.4 million-square-foot office campus...
San Jose wants more federal help to feed struggling residents
FEMA's guidelines for reimbursement are too strict, say some city officials who are working to ramp up meal services in wake of coronavirus crisis
Animal shelters scramble to meet adoption demand absent volunteers, in-person visits
Adapting to the coronavirus pandemic has required staff members at Silicon Valley’s animal shelters to do work usually performed by volunteers as they rush to keep up with the heightened demand for animal adoptions amid shelter-in-place restrictions. While shelters struggle to retain volunteers, like many nonprofits, there is a silver lining. Sheltering-in-place has resulted in...
San Jose groups take entertainment online as stay-home order drags on
ComedySportz San Jose has hosted performances in a theater downtown for 33 years, but in March began livestreaming its shows on Zoom for a fast-growing audience. In one recent show, an improv comedian was tasked with giving CPR to a “dummy,” so she looked to her right and said, “Dennis, my boyfriend, come here.” A...
San Jose council approves big affordable housing project in Willow Glen
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday approved a new a six-story, mixed-use Meridian Apartments affordable housing complex in the Willow Glen neighborhood. Councilmembers Maya Esparza and Magdalena Carrasco were absent for the vote. The nine members who were present voted in favor of the development. The Meridian Apartments will sit on a 2.09-acre site...
Update: San Jose slashes budget, approves new sexual assault unit
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved making massive cuts to the city budget for the fiscal year, as officials brace for an expected shortfall of least $45 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s going to be a long road for us,” Budget Director Jim Shannon said. “When we released our forecasts...